Anodyne vs Allay - What's the difference?

As nouns the difference between anodyne and allay

is that anodyne is (pharmacology) any medicine or other agent that relieves pain while allay is alleviation; abatement; check.

As an adjective anodyne

is capable]] of [[soothe|soothing or eliminating pain.

As a verb allay is

to make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm.

anodyne

English

Adjective

(en adjective)

Capable]] of [[soothe, soothing or eliminating pain.

* 1847 , Littell's Living Age , number 161, 12 June 1847, in Volume 13, page 483:

Many a time has the vapor of ether been inhaled for the relief of oppressed lungs; many a time has the sought relief been thus obtained; and just so many times has the discovery of the wonderful anodyne properties of this gas, as affecting all bodily suffering, been brushed past and overlooked.

* 1910 , Edward L. Keyes, Diseases of the Genito-Urinary Organs , page 211:

The citrate is the most efficient as an alkali, but irritates some stomachs, the liquor the most anodyne , the acetate the most diuretic.

(figuratively) Soothing or relaxing.

Classical music is rather anodyne .

Noncontentious, blandly agreeable, unlikely to cause offence or debate; bland, inoffensive.

* 2003 , The Guardian , 20 May 2003:

It all became so routine, so anodyne , so dull.

* 2010 , "Rattled", The Economist , 9 Dec 2010:

States typically like to stick to anodyne messages, like saving wildflowers or animals. But every so often a controversy crops up.

Noun

(en noun)

(pharmacology) Any medicine or other agent that relieves pain.

(figuratively) A source of relaxation or comfort.

*1890 , (Oscar Wilde), The Picture of Dorian Gray , ch. VII:

*:The air was heavy with the perfume of the flowers, and their beauty seemed to bring him an anodyne for his pain.

*1929 , (Virginia Woolf), A Room of One's Own , page 79:

So, with a sigh, because novels so often provide an anodyne and not an antidote, glide one into torpid slumbers instead of rousing one with a burning brand.

Derived terms

* anodynia * anodynous

References

* *

Anagrams

allay

English

Alternative forms

* (obsolete)

Verb

(en verb)

To make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm.

to allay popular excitement

to allay the tumult of the passions

To alleviate; to abate; to mitigate.

to allay the severity of affliction or the bitterness of adversity

(obsolete) To subside, abate, become peaceful.

* 1526 , William Tyndale, trans. Bible , Mark IV:

And the wynde alayed , and there folowed a greate calme: and he sayde unto them: why are ye fearfull?

* Shakespeare

When the rage allays .

(archaic) To mix (metals); to mix with a baser metal; to alloy; to deteriorate.

(Fuller)

Quotations

He had to pretend to be drunk in order to allay the suspicions which might have been aroused by his appearance at the gate.
—Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in A Study in Scarlet

Synonyms

* alleviate; check; repress; assuage; appease; abate; subdue; destroy; compose; soothe; calm; quiet